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Wink Detective

One player is secretly the "sleep-sender", who puts people to sleep by winking at them. One player is the detective, who stands in the middle and must spot the winker before the whole circle has nodded off. Nobody speaks, everybody watches everybody, and the dramatic "falling asleep" is a joy. It is a quiet game that still grips a big group, ideal after dinner.

Ages
10 and up
Players
8 to 25
Time
15 minutes
Place
seated in a circle
Energy
quiet
Group size
Medium group (9 to 20), Large group (over 20)
Good for
Teenagers, Adults, All ages together, Office

What you need

Chits of paper, one per player: one marked W (winker), the rest blank. Chairs in a circle.

How to play

  1. Choose a detective, who leaves the room or closes their eyes.
  2. Every other player draws a chit. The one who gets W is the winker. Nobody tells.
  3. The detective returns and stands in the centre of the circle. Players look around at one another quietly.
  4. The winker winks at one player at a time, choosing moments when the detective is looking elsewhere.
  5. A player who is winked at counts silently to five, then "falls asleep": slumps, snores, or slides down the chair with as much drama as they like. They are out and may not hint.
  6. The detective has three guesses to name the winker.

Who wins

The detective wins by naming the winker within three guesses. The winker wins by putting half the circle to sleep first.

Variations and tips

Safety and kindness

Describe the game as putting people to sleep; that keeps it right for every age. Seat players so that everyone can see every face.

Common problems and how to fix them

Party plans that use this game

Host tools

Time the round with the party timer, make chits or random teams with the chit maker, and keep the points on the scoreboard.

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